


Necessary - A Nygmobblepot Story

by thnxrose



Category: Gotham - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Smut, self harm and depression.]
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 23:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11428488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thnxrose/pseuds/thnxrose
Summary: Some things are done out of necessity. Oswald had hoped that unfreezing Ed would not be one of them.





	1. Anyone Else

Oswald was on his last nerve. Coming home to the news of his club being trashed and vast amounts of money being stolen was one thing, but then hearing that the person behind it all had left him a riddle to solve... that was just insulting. It was personal. As soon as he had heard about it, his mind automatically went to Ed. Although the man was currently frozen solid, Oswald wouldn't put it past him to figure out a way to do this. Maybe he had even escaped... if anyone could do it, Ed could. But, when Oswald went to the club to assess the damage, Ed was still there, blank and unmoving. Oswald let out a quiet sigh when he saw him again. He appeared to have been the only thing not vandalised. The rest of the club had been destroyed completely, the wallpaper torn down, chairs and tables broken, bottles shattered, even the bar had been attacked, with indents marking the hardwood surface. But it wasn't as bad as he had thought. The most worrying thing was all the money that had gone missing. Oh, and the stupid riddle that had been spelled out in glass at Ed's feet. At first, no one noticed it, thinking it was just part of the mess. Thankfully, Ivy had realised that the shards spelt out a message, and managed to stop people from standing on it or simply clearing it away. By the time Oswald got there, she had procured a red velvet rope from somewhere, the kind that was used to line red carpets. She was coming back into the club, holding a huge bundle of it in her arms, when she spotted Oswald standing there, staring up at Ed. He turned around at her squeal of delight and walked up to greet her. She dropped the rope on the floor and ran up to give him a hug. Oswald allowed it, since they were alone, but quickly disentangled himself from her.

"Pengy, thank god you're here! Without you, the conversational pool is really as dull as dishwater. I mean, everyone else left about half an hour ago, so I've had no one to talk to, but you know what I mean."

Oswald suppressed a smirk and simply rolled his eyes at Ivy's compliment. Even though she was his best friend, he had his limits. He was always wary of flattery, because of Edward, but he knew that Ivy meant well. Her sincerity came with her youth. This was one of the reasons why he kept her around; anywhere else, she would have been treated like she was in her twenties, but he knew she was only 13 years old. He had fired a number of good workers over her, simply because they continued to stare, even after he explained her situation. Perverts. He was snapped out of his train of thought by Ivy throwing her arm across his chest, pausing him in his tracks.

"Careful, you'll step on the riddle!", she warned.

Oswald sighed and took a step back, making sure to avoid looking at Ed. That wasn't why he was here. He ignored a knowing look from Ivy and started to read the message.

 _We want what walks on four legs in the morning,_  
 _Two legs in the afternoon,_  
And three legs in the evening.  
You'll know which one we're talking about.  
Give it to us, and we will leave you alone.  
You have 48 hours.

"Well," said Ivy, curiously, "Do you understand what it means?"

Oswald stared at her ludicrously and just shook his head. Who in their right minds would understand this nonsense? He sighed, realising who would. He glanced up at Ed, looking into his eyes through the frozen cage he lived in. When he turned back to Ivy, she realised what he was thinking. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him angrily.

"You cannot unfreeze him."

"I can do what I please, Ivy.", Oswald said, stretching up to her height.

Ivy scoffed and stood on her tippy toes, making herself as tall as possible.

"No you can't! Even if you really wanted to! Don't you remember? Freeze's victims die if they are unfrozen!"

Oswald's cheeks turned pink and he avoided Ivy's gaze.

"I might have... asked him to use the serum that works. The one he had meant to use on his wife..."

Ivy groaned loudly and stamped her foot in annoyance.

"Why the hell would you have done that? Ughhh, look, never mind! Oswald, this is a terrible idea! He'll try to kill you if you unfreeze him! Isn't there anyone else who could solve the riddle?"

"No. There's no one."

Ivy pouted, but she uncrossed her arms in resignation.

"But I don't like him!"

Oswald chuckled at her attempt to change his mind.

"Yes, well... I don't like him either, okay? But this is the only way."

Ivy rolled her eyes.

"Both of those sentences were lies, Ozzie," she said, examining her freshly painted nails.  
"But ok, if this is what you want, I'll call Freeze and Firefly tomorrow morning."

Oswald relaxed and let himself fall back to his natural height.

"Thank you Ivy."

She smiled at him, but behind the smile lay deep concern.

"Anytime, Ozzie."

She then turned on her heel and walked out of the club, leaving Oswald alone with his thoughts. And of course, Ed. When he was by himself, he often spoke to Ed at great length. Some people might think he was mad, and on some days, Oswald might have agreed. Half the time, he thought he knew exactly how Ed would have responded to something he had said. Once or twice, he could have sworn that he heard his voice. He sighed and slowly reached up, pressing his hand against the ice. Ed's hand was just mere centimetres away, but it felt like miles. He chuckled to himself, knowing what Ed would think if he saw him like this. Oswald almost wished that he could. He smiled a little to himself at that thought. Ed would see him. Soon.


	2. Complicated

Oswald arrived at the club an hour before he was supposed to. He tried to convince himself that his earliness was just nerves, but he knew deep down that he was excited. Although Ed was the one person he shouldn't want to see, he still couldn't wait to see him. He was going to make him wear the old suit he had had made for him, either to humiliate him, or to remind him of better days. He didn't know which yet. Oswald sighed, staring up at Ed. He wondered if he should tell him that he sent flowers to Isabelle - Isabella's, grave every week. It was something he had started the day Ed was frozen. He sent white roses, never going to the grave himself, but always making sure that they were put there. He had a deal with Selina Kyle, one of Ivy's friends. She'd drop off the flowers if he ignored her weekly burgling sprees. He would tell Ed that this was repayment for putting lilies on his mother's grave, because it was. But it was also the only true apology he would ever give. The question was, would Ed accept it?

  
                 *************

  
Ivy, Freeze, and Firefly arrived five minutes late. Oswald had expected this, and made no comment, simply glaring at the trio as they walked through the door. Ivy rolled her eyes at his expression. She then said something to the other two and walked up to Oswald alone, joining him beside Ed.

"Are you still sure about this, Ozzie?", she asked, her words sharp, but her eyes full of concern.

He took a deep breath before answering her.

"Yes, Ivy. 100% sure. Now, Freeze, Fire - , sorry Bridget,", he said, thinking of Selina, "Come over here and we'll begin."

The pair joined them and held their weapons towards Ed, fingers at the triggers. Oswald looked around to make sure they had everything they needed. Freeze had said that once Ed was unfrozen, he would most likely be unconscious for a few hours. As much as Oswald would have loved to see Ed simply fall in a heap on the ground after being freed, he had had a bed brought in and placed in his private office, so he could work and watch Ed's progress. Ivy had raised her eyebrows pointedly at this detail, but hadn't said anything. The rest of the preparations consisted of getting handcuffs, military grade, of course, some pictures of the riddle, various medicines that Freeze had provided, and a hot water bottle. This last thing came from Jim Gordon, most likely as a joke. He had sent it about a month ago, when he finally found out what happened to Ed. Oswald had kept it as a sort of memento, and to remind him that even the GCPD were on his side. He wondered how long they'd stay there once they found out that he'd brought Ed back. He looked up at his former best friend and sighed. He always complicated things... Ivy coughed loudly, snapping Oswald out of his thoughts. He turned and saw that she had stepped away from Ed, probably to make room for Freeze and Firefly to work. He quickly joined her, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He then nodded towards the pair in front of him, giving them permission to begin. Firefly grinned and set Ed alight, red and orange flames engulfing him completely, melting him almost immediately. The flames and ice mingled together, creating an almost purple light, and sending wisps of ash and tiny snowflakes spiralling into the air. At this point, all Oswald could think was that he was glad he had turned off his smoke alarms.

  
                 *************

  
When the ice had melted down to Ed's chest, his finger twitched. When it was down to his waist, Oswald was sure that he blinked. When it finally reached his knees, Ed's entire body visibly shook. And the ice kept melting, down, down, down, until only Ed's feet were still encased. Oswald wanted to make sure he knew where he stood before letting him, well, stand. Firefly finally lowered her flamethrower, clearly exhausted, and leant slightly onto Freeze for support. He looked surprised at her touch and gently lowered her onto a chair, looking at her with almost fatherly concern. Oswald rolled his eyes and cleared his throat pointedly. There would be time for tending to Bridget later, but right now he needed Freeze's help getting Ed into his office and onto the bed. He could have got some muscle to help him, but he didn't trust some random lackeys with this. Ed's unfreezing needed to be kept a secret. Freeze was very strong anyway, given his suit, and lifted Ed off the ground easily. He then followed Oswald out of the room, leaving Ivy with Bridget. Oswald's private rooms weren't very far from the main club area, but there were many security measures in place in order to get to them. Eye scanners, voice recognition doors, a password-locked door, and finally, a tiny silver keyhole in what appeared to be a blank wall. The only way to open it was with one of Oswald's tie pins. Specifically, the one Ed had used to unlock his handcuffs those three months ago. Oswald breezed through all the other security and quickly unlocked the last door, leading Freeze into his office. It was a large, spacious room, furnished in black and purple. His desk sat on one end of the room, covered in a mess of papers, coffee mugs, and half-empty pens. He had forgotten to clean up last night, but didn't really care. The windows were made of bullet proof glass and he had hung a small, "no cats" sign outside of one of them. Selina had left a dead mouse on the windowsill in response. The bed he had requested was placed near the windows, and light shone across it, creating a pretty pattern on the duvet. The pillow had a question mark on it. He sighed at that detail. Ivy must have asked for it specially. There was an ornate marble fireplace against the wall, which was the first thing most people noticed as they walked into the room. Right now, there was no fire burning, and the room looked how Oswald usually felt. Cold and empty. But today was different. Oswald crossed the room in two quick strides, and grabbed a box of matches from the mantle piece. He then lit a small fire in the grate and watched it crackle away invitingly. Freeze walked over to the bed, staying as far away from the fire as possible, and dumped Ed onto it unceremoniously. Oswald pursed his lips and tossed him the handcuffs.

"Don't cut off his blood supply, alright?", Oswald said sharply.

Freeze looked a little taken aback, and replied,  
"Sure, boss. Didn't know you were so worried about him."

Oswald opened his mouth to tell Freeze, that in no uncertain terms, he was not worried about Ed, but shut it again quickly. There was no need to get defensive. Although Freeze worked for him, he was still a man that Oswald wouldn't want to be angry with him. He sighed at his own cowardice and poked the fire a bit. After Ed was securely cuffed to the bed, he thanked Freeze and escorted him back out of his office, telling him to tell the others that they could all go home. The club would reopen tomorrow evening. Freeze nodded and left without another word, probably happy to go and tend to Bridget. Now Oswald was left alone with an unconscious Ed, and a lot of paperwork. He sighed and sat down at his desk, clearing off the rubbish and reading the first document. He was halfway through the second page when he heard a voice. A voice he hadn't heard for three months.

  
"Oswald?"


	3. Alone Together

Oswald dropped his pen on the desk, but there were no other signs of him being shocked. He simply took a deep breath and picked up his pen again, finishing the sentence he was writing. Ed immediately got annoyed and tried to get out of the bed. When he found that he couldn't, he got even more frustrated and called out to Oswald again.

"Oswald! Tell me what's going on this instance, or I swear I'll-"

Oswald sighed and placed the pen back on the desk. He then looked up from his work, acknowledging Ed for the first time.

"You'll what, Edward?"

Ed was silent. Oswald felt a smug grin creep onto his face.

"Exactly. You are completely under my control, Ed. So I'd suggest that you just lay there and contemplate your sad, sad, little life."

Oswald resumed writing, pleased with himself, but then Ed spoke up again.

"You're right, Oswald. I underestimated you and I paid the price. But please... tell me what's going on. I know you need me for something, and I'll work much faster if I know that I'm trusted."

A sharp intake of breath. Oswald stood up from the desk, his eyes blazing, and marched over to the bed.

"You are not trusted. I'll _never_ trust you again. We're not friends anymore. Remember that."

Something flickered in Ed's eyes at that statement but he still said nothing. Oswald could almost see the cogs turning in his brain, trying to figure out what to do next. It was both amusing and worrying to watch. Before he could stop himself, he decided to throw Ed off balance even more.

"I... I sent roses to Isabella's grave every week. For the past three months. That's how long you've been out, by the way."

Ed's mouth fell open and he stared at Oswald ludicrously. For a moment, a wave of deja vu hit him, and he was reminded of the time that he tried to confess his feelings to Ed. The expression on his face was almost exactly the same. Ed of the present day, however, couldn't turn and run away. He had to face reality. He didn't seem like he was going to say anything though, so Oswald sighed and turned to go back to his desk. But then, Ed finally spoke up, making him pause in his tracks.

"Thank you, Oswald. Once again, your kindness surprises me."

More flashbacks. Arkham, the puzzle box, the origami penguin. It was still in his desk drawer. He steeled himself before turning back to Ed, hoping his face was devoid of emotions.

"It is not an act of kindness, Ed. It is one of repayment. After I got out of Arkham, I asked the caretaker in the graveyard about my mother's grave. He said that you went there every week, and gave her white lilies."

Oswald paused, a thought coming to him.

"He even said that you sang to her, once. On my birthday."

Ed avoided Oswald's gaze but nodded slightly, acknowledging the fact that, one day, he had sang. It had been numbingly cold, the wind was biting at all the exposed bits of his skin, and the graveyard had been ghost-quiet. No one else was visiting anyone, so Ed was alone. He hadn't intended to start singing, it just sort of happened. He had remembered that it was Oswald's birthday, and was annoyed at himself for not going to see him. So he sang Oswald's mother's lullaby, hoping that no one but the slate grey gravestones could hear him. But it had been an empty hope. The caretaker obviously had heard him. He sighed a little at his past foolishness. Love is weakness, and he had showed weakness, that evening in the graveyard. He was paying for it now. Oswald was staring down at him, a mask of indifference on his face. Ed could almost see the other emotions stewing underneath.   
Hate. Anger. Fear.   
_Love_.  
He quickly shook these thoughts out of his head as Oswald began to speak again.

"So I am repaying a debt, Ed. I was in Arkham for four months, and every week, for those four months, you put lilies on her grave. So for another month, I will do the same for Isabel- Isabella."

Ed chuckled a little at this.

"Oswald, you are being kind. You know more than I do, that you owe me nothing. You're doing this because you still care, even after all I've done, even after all I've put you through. You still care."

Oswald struggled to stop blush coming to his cheeks, and replied,

"I _don't_ care about you, Ed. Not anymore. I did care, I cared way too much. Even up until before you tried to shoot me again, at the docks. I knew that I had that situation under my control, so if you didn't try to shoot me, I would have forgiven you! I gave you so many chances, Ed! Too many chances! I even gave you a stupid test, just like the one you gave-"

Oswald cut himself off and turned away from Ed, furious with himself. He had gotten too emotional, and had given Ed useful information. Information that proved he had cared.

"Oswald... that day at the docks was a test? Like the one I gave you, at the Sirens?"

Ed sounded like he was struggling to keep himself together. Oswald turned back to face him, his eyes iron-cold.

"Yes Edward. And you failed."

Oswald then walked to his desk and sat down, picking up his pen again and getting back to work. He ignored Ed's protests. Nothing he could ever say would be enough.


End file.
